How New Airport Security Rules Work

These screening procedures apply to all passengers on flights coming to the United States.

Passengers on all incoming flights to the United States are subject to new security measures that took effect on Thursday. The scope is broad, applying to both American and foreign airlines. It affects the roughly 2,100 flights that enter the U.S. daily.

Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, clarified to the Associated Press that the enhanced security rules apply to U.S. citizens and foreign travels to the United States. The measures included “heightened screening of personal electronic devices,” as well as tighter security around airplanes. Screeners will also ask passenger more questions than before.

Fran Young, a passenger on a flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, shared this experience with the AP: “They asked me if I packed my own bag, where I packed it from, where I came from, they looked at my itinerary, verify where I was, who I was, from where I came from.”

The Trump administration introduced a first-round of enhanced security in March. It banned travelers from using laptops on planes coming to the United States from 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

There was much confusion regarding how to implement the expanded security rules on the first day they went into effect, NBC reported. Travelers at some airports filled out a questionnaire, while security personnel at other airports verbally quizzed passengers. Some carriers said they were authorized to delay implementing the new rules until January.